Jesus Loved him

I have heard this story a lot, but today, (with everything else that I have been thinking about lately) this verse struck me.

The passage is Mark 10:17-31.  Here a rich man comes to Jesus and asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life”?  I dont know about you but I would love for someone to just come out and ask me that.  I would love to tell them all about the love of Jesus, the Cross, Resurrection, and the hipe of Heaven. At first it appears that Jesus skips the question because He was called the wrong name.  The man called Jesus “good teacher” and Jesus says no one is good.  (Yesterday I talked to a man who believes Jesus was seperating Himself from God here.  He believes Jesus was simply a prophet not God and he used this passage as his proof text.)

So the guy says to Jesus that he in fact has been good.  He has kept all the commands. “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.”   Here is what gets me.

“Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

Jesus know that this man was not ready to let go of everything to follow Him. Jesus know that this man would not “make a decision” to die to self and live for Christ.  But “Jesus looked at him and loved him”.

Wow!!!  You know as I was talking to this guy yesterday, who know all about the Bible, it was so hard to simply love him.  I wanted him to believe like I do.  He believed in Jesus, and that He died on the cross for mans sin, but he didnt think Jesus was God.  He was Gods son, but not God.

This guy knocked on my door (he was looking for my neighbor) and then we stood in my drive way as he shared with me his beliefs.  I simply asked questions.  It was so hard to stand there and love.  I wanted to convince him what I believe.  Then I go into the house and read that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”